Press US for action in Indian engineer’s killing: Yechury

New Delhi, Feb 25 (IANS) Deploring the killing of Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla in the US, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Saturday called for pressurising the Donald Trump administration for quick action.

“We urge our government to put the strongest pressure on the authorities in the US to act upon this at the earliest, to ensure this is never repeated,” said Yechury.

Kuchibhotla, and two others were shot at by US Navy veteran Adam W. Purinton in a bar in Olathe in Kansas on Wednesday night.

While the 32-year-old engineer was killed, his friend Alok Madasani, also 32, and an American Ian Grillot, 24, who tried to save them, were injured.

Purinton mistook them for “Middle Easterners” and yelled “Get out of my country” before shooting them.

Referring to the 2015 lynching of Mohammed Akhlaq in Uttar Pradesh’s Dadri over rumours of beef eating, Yechury warned about jingoistic politics causing the tragedy.

He also referred to the hanging of two cattle traders in Jharkhand’s Latehar in 2016.

The hate-crime where two Indians in the US were told to leave the country is utterly deplorable and very sad, the Left leader said.

“We hope the other Indian injured in the attack, Alok Reddy Madasani gets well soon,” he added.

“It again brings to light the hurt that irresponsible and jingoistic politics causes. Such politics thrives on going after minorities and smaller groups based on identity, skin colour or faith,” Yechury said on social media platforms.